Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port

Around noon, I roll into a pretty little town called Donibane Garazi. It's one of the prettiest villages in France, a road sign tells me - and I think to myself 'Well, whether my plan for the next big step works out: it's nice that I was here. What a coincidence that here on my route lies another of the most beautiful places in France'.
It turns out: I'm exactly where my day's stage was supposed to go, only the sign at the entrance to the town greeted me in Basque and not in Spanish, so I didn't realise that I already reached my destination. 😆

I have now arrived at one of the stations on the Way of St James. (Later I will learn that from now on almost every road that goes in the direction of Santiago de Compostela is considered to be the Way of St James).

Today I take it easy and find a paid campsite for the night. There I make the next contacts with my campsite neighbours, who invite me to their home near La Rochelle should I step by there in the future.

There are strong wind gusts tonight. If a tree doesn't fall in my face at the campsite, the story will continue 😉

The next morning a couple from Berlin invite me for a coffee. Their strong dialect immediately awakens feelings of home and the woman starts mothering me a bit. "Drink up, you need it. Wait, I'll make some more coffee! Over breakfast we exchange all kinds of experiences and I roll out of town with a little diversions via the post office. (It's exciting to see which things I still carry around without using them).

Up to this point the route was still manageable, but the coming stage is on another level. After looking at my route and the altitude profile, I'm sure I can do it though.Читать далее